mom next door
Meet Jenny Edwards
M eet Jenny Edwards, a Denver native, a Building Information Modeler working for Denver International Airport, an understanding mom, and a lover of music. Jenny and her nine-year-old daughter Luna are navigating the experiences of a split household. With Luna only with her half the time, Jenny has learned to cope ahead for the transition and give her daughter extra space and patience. In their free time, Jenny and Luna love to play acoustic guitar, make up silly songs, and sing around the house. Dance, gymnastics, engineering kits, and anime are also on their list of fun things to do. “The challenge has been working our way out of the kid phase and into the preteen phase,” Jenny explains. “With that comes a lot of complex emotions. We work through this by providing space for childhood to evolve, but we still carry around stuffed animals with us everywhere we go.” Despite the challenges, Jenny says it is a joy as a parent to watch her daughter be creative. She explains she has found that once she lets go of some control, she’ll catch Luna doing something pretty extraordinary. One day when Jenny was completing a task in another room, she peeked around the corner to find an elaborate tea party set up with stuffed animals, each with a name. “It was just so imaginative. That’s been my greatest joy, just witnessing her creativity when she thinks I’m not watching.” The best parenting advice Jenny says she’s received is to loosen up the rigidity of the day-to-day and take things one step at a time. She emphasises that a lot of parents tend to be on a super strict schedule and sign their kids up for many activities. “I find that when I just kind of look towards the silent moments, when I stop trying to control that narrative of what childhood is supposed to be about, it’s pretty magical,” Jenny says.
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BY AMELIA ROESSLER
“I think childhood gets watered down quite a bit because we’re always trying to control the narrative. But if you just kind of let go and let them be themselves, you can witness very magical things.”
She especially finds magic in nature, watching Luna take off her shoes and squish the mud between her toes, observing roly- polies, and making up stories about dragon dens in the Rocky Mountains.
narrative. But if you just kind of let go and let them be themselves, you can witness very magical things. Exploring nature is always free and very rewarding for both of us,” explains Jenny.
“I think childhood gets watered down quite a bit because we’re always trying to control the
Jenny has also found benefit through the volunteering she and Luna participate in
12 COLORADO PARENT APRIL 2026
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